Henderson City Council tables KARTS annexation over emergency‑response concerns

Henderson City Council on Feb. 11, 2019 tabled a proposed voluntary annexation of the Kerr Area Transportation Authority (KARTS) facility on Ross Mill Road, citing concerns from fire and police officials about emergency response capacity.

City Manager Frank Frazier said water and sewer had been extended to the large facility and that KARTS submitted a voluntary annexation request. Mayor Eddie Ellington opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke for or against the annexation.

Fire Chief Steve Cordell told council that the city's ISO rating calculations consider the five largest buildings and that those factors imply a need for an average water flow of "3,500 gallons a minute." He also noted the KARTS site is about 3.1 miles from the nearest fire station and said the mileage for the aerial apparatus should be about 2.5 miles, raising concerns about meeting response standards.

Police Chief Marcus Barrow said expanding city boundaries northwest and northeast places an additional load on police resources, though he noted the existing KARTS facility typically generates only four to five calls per year.

Council Member Garry D. Daeke suggested delaying action until the full Committee of the Whole could consider the request. Council Member William Burnette moved to table Ordinance 19‑05; the motion, seconded by George Daye, passed 5‑0 (Council Members Williams, Burnette, Elliott, Daeke and Daye voting yes; Coffey, Rainey and Simmons absent). City staff said the annexation application remains valid for eight years and will be revisited when the petitioner requests it.

The council’s motion to table stops short of approving municipal annexation procedures for the property; staff will review response‑time implications and the facility’s operational status before the matter returns to the council docket.